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uselesspirateraven's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
emileeandherbooks's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
Okay so Sara Crewe is perfect in every way and I mean that literally. She has no flaws. And like everyone else is ugly, fat, stupid or mean. Some sort of combo of those descriptors depending on the character.
Sara has no character arc or growth, but she sure did help everyone else see how they’re wrong in their behaviour and how they can most certainly improve. She shows this by her sweet, flawless, selfless little ways.
Also, woe is her when she goes from mega-rich to not, and everyone feels so bad about it, but then there is the character Becky who is literally a servant who has been starved and abused her whole life but yeah, let’s not talk about her. Sara is the one who really struggles!!!!!!!!
Maybe I’m totally heartless and that’s why I didn’t like this book? I also didn’t grow up with the movie or anything so I have no added nostalgia.
And to end this review, I have one word left:
BORING!
Sara has no character arc or growth, but she sure did help everyone else see how they’re wrong in their behaviour and how they can most certainly improve. She shows this by her sweet, flawless, selfless little ways.
Also, woe is her when she goes from mega-rich to not, and everyone feels so bad about it, but then there is the character Becky who is literally a servant who has been starved and abused her whole life but yeah, let’s not talk about her. Sara is the one who really struggles!!!!!!!!
Maybe I’m totally heartless and that’s why I didn’t like this book? I also didn’t grow up with the movie or anything so I have no added nostalgia.
And to end this review, I have one word left:
BORING!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Bullying and Child abuse
lizzye33's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I enjoyed this so much; I wish I experienced it as a child!
It is the kind of book that lets you dream and romanticize life despite the hardship and brings out the enduring nature of imagination and innocent perception. We all need more of that. My grandmother would have loved to share this story with me. It is perfectly similar to some of the style of stories she shared with me when I was young before she passed, and I hope she experienced this book as well. Some of the content is very dark, especially for children who may know what their experiences are like firsthand. Still, I think even having known touches of Sarah's experiences, it is beautiful nonetheless. I was much like her as a girl, and though I felt that I could not share my imagination or perspective very closely with that of Sarah, as Sarah does through the book, it is beautiful and reminded me of myself in a very different time. It is a lovely gift all around to read this book.
It is the kind of book that lets you dream and romanticize life despite the hardship and brings out the enduring nature of imagination and innocent perception. We all need more of that. My grandmother would have loved to share this story with me. It is perfectly similar to some of the style of stories she shared with me when I was young before she passed, and I hope she experienced this book as well. Some of the content is very dark, especially for children who may know what their experiences are like firsthand. Still, I think even having known touches of Sarah's experiences, it is beautiful nonetheless. I was much like her as a girl, and though I felt that I could not share my imagination or perspective very closely with that of Sarah, as Sarah does through the book, it is beautiful and reminded me of myself in a very different time. It is a lovely gift all around to read this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Minor: Body shaming, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and Cultural appropriation
creolelitbelle's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I remember watching a movie adaptation of A Little Princess from the mid-90s, and the situation surrounding Sarah's father is much different in the original book than I saw back then. Sarah's story is a mostly a tragedy, but she always remains a hopeful young girl, which makes the book a joy to experience. She holds her tongue better than I think most clever girls could in her shoes. Her intelligence and good heart shine through even her darkest moments. I wonder how a modern retelling could fare or if one has been created. Reading classics like this show how our current technology would change the course of past protagonists' lives.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse and Classism
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Colonisation
bessadams's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
npeach's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism
skele_queen's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
One of my all time favorite children’s books, especially with how clear Sara Crewe’s slightly non-typically subtle personality is.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Classism
tlaynejones's review against another edition
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
This was my favourite book when I was 8 or 9, I read and reread it so many times. I loved this story so much.
It’s been over 40 years since I’ve even looked at it, and I thought it had mostly faded away from my mind. Yet once I started it this time, it all came back so clearly I almost felt like I had it memorised. I began this read with a sense of trepidation; I remembered enough to know that I would find racism and a deeply colonial pov, but I didn’t remember enough to know any details or to guess how this reading would leave me feeling.
What I found was a book that encapsulates the hypocrisy and neglect of white supremacy and christian ‘benevolence’. Some will say, oh it’s ok, it’s a book of its time, so the racism and classism, and all the other isms in this story, can be excused. But why? The child that I was, that desperately needed a fairy tale about being rescued, deserved to also have books that allowed a more complex world to exist. That didn’t create paradigms that center her potential for rescue based on her whiteness, her class, her politeness, her stoic ness, or her feminine ‘goodness’. A book that didn’t reinforce class amongst white people, and completely devalue and dehumanise all people of colour. Children deserve to have magical fairytales to escape in to, without the burden of white supremacist messaging. There are so many wonderful children’s and middle grade novels available now. For me, this one is best left in memory for what it was then.
It’s been over 40 years since I’ve even looked at it, and I thought it had mostly faded away from my mind. Yet once I started it this time, it all came back so clearly I almost felt like I had it memorised. I began this read with a sense of trepidation; I remembered enough to know that I would find racism and a deeply colonial pov, but I didn’t remember enough to know any details or to guess how this reading would leave me feeling.
What I found was a book that encapsulates the hypocrisy and neglect of white supremacy and christian ‘benevolence’. Some will say, oh it’s ok, it’s a book of its time, so the racism and classism, and all the other isms in this story, can be excused. But why? The child that I was, that desperately needed a fairy tale about being rescued, deserved to also have books that allowed a more complex world to exist. That didn’t create paradigms that center her potential for rescue based on her whiteness, her class, her politeness, her stoic ness, or her feminine ‘goodness’. A book that didn’t reinforce class amongst white people, and completely devalue and dehumanise all people of colour. Children deserve to have magical fairytales to escape in to, without the burden of white supremacist messaging. There are so many wonderful children’s and middle grade novels available now. For me, this one is best left in memory for what it was then.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Death of parent, Colonisation, and Classism
katie0528's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A classic children's story I never read but wanted to give a go now after listening to excerpts on the Calm app. It's a cute story about positivity and imagination in the face of adversity, but some of the language and portrayals of minorty characters could be considered offensive to a modern reader.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Racism and Colonisation
cristoc's review against another edition
2.0
I liked the rat appreciation
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Classism